Officials dispel rumors of crime spikes near Racino

While reported rumors surface about crime spikes near the Racino, officials hope to dispel the so-called fallacies.

A recent New York Post article alleged petit larcenies and misdemeanor assaults have increased within the 106th Precinct — which covers the new Resorts World Casino — though they say it’s unclear whether the offenses can be tied to the South Ozone Park gambling operation.

The published story started a flurry of worry, according to Captain Thomas Pascale, the 106th Precinct’s commanding officer.

However, local officials said so far there’s no cause for concern.

“There’s no indication that any increase in crime is related to activities at the casino,” said Betty Braton, chair of Community Board 10. “We work closely with the police department and casino security to monitor what is actually going on. So far, there’s nothing out of the ordinary.”

According to the Post, “at least three” separate crimes have occurred on casino property, including “a car stolen from a parking lot, a dropped wallet snatched in the Racino by a patron, and one gambler who tried to use a counterfeit bill in a slot machine.”

Though Stefan Friedman, spokesperson for Resorts World, declined to comment on these specific allegations, he said the facility has been “incredibly safe.”

“The safety of our patrons is priority number one,” Friedman said. “Our commitment to keeping criminal activity out of our project has resulted in extremely few incidents on and around the casino property since our opening.”

Pascale of the 106th Precinct directed comment — in regards to statistics and allegations — to NYPD officials, who did not respond as of press time.